The engineering field is undergoing a digital transformation, revolutionizing the way teams design, develop, and manage complex projects. Accuris is proud to work with companies like Rolls Royce to lead the charge in optimizing engineering workflows and boosting productivity.
In our recent webinar, Accuris experts Thomas Deveraj and John Hammar had a conversation with Rolls Royce Standards Engineer Chris Burrows about his company’s journey to becoming a connected enterprise.
Three key themes emerged from the conversation:
- Connecting engineers to critical data should be a key focus for engineering leaders
- The engineering field has come a long way when it comes to the digital transformation – but there is still more to be done
- Digital threads are the future of engineering
Watch the webinar recording or continue reading this blog post to get the full story.
Bridging the gap: the challenges of connecting engineers to critical data
Engineering teams often struggle with accessing the wealth of data required for complex projects. Many engineers are accustomed to document-based systems that use spreadsheets and static files, which can lead to data silos and knowledge gaps. Even model-based organizations can encounter these problems, as MBSE tools may not seamlessly connect with essential platforms like PLM, CAD, or simulation tools.
Incorporating requirements from engineering standards into models adds another layer of complexity. Standards are inherently wordy, dense documents, making it difficult for engineers to extract and apply requirements. When sifting through standards, engineers can miss information or misinterpret it and introduce errors when copying and pasting requirements into another software program. Missing or incorrectly capturing requirements can lead to faulty products or even catastrophic failures.
The digital transformation has made great strides in closing the information gap for engineers. Digitized standards are easier to access, read, and understand, and semantic search tools help engineers quickly find the critical information they need. This data forms the foundation of a fully integrated digital engineering framework.
Rolls Royce’s vision for the engineering digital transformation
Rolls Royce has been evolving the way they use standards and specifications to become a digitally connected enterprise. Chris Burrows, standards engineer at Rolls Royce, carefully evaluates how each function within the business uses standards, ensuring that critical information flows seamlessly from design to manufacturing to verification. For example, standards can be integrated into CAD models, drawings, and instructions for machine shop operators, creating a digital thread from a product’s start to finish.
The digital transformation is also changing the way Rolls Royce’s internal standards are developed. Chris highlighted that many young engineers learn how to write in Microsoft Word, instead of XML. To avoid the need for retraining, Chris would like to see engineers draft internal standards in Word and use next-gen software intelligence to extract requirements. This approach maximizes productivity while ensuring the seamless integration of requirements into the broader digital ecosystem.
The engineering digital transformation can only be achieved through collaboration and open communication between industry and SDOs. The aerospace community actively engages in discussions about managing requirements and optimizing data formats to align with industry needs. Part of this conversation includes how SDOs can develop digital standards so requirements information flows seamlessly into engineers’ digital workflows.
While Rolls Royce has made significant progress, their journey is far from complete. They continue to strive for a streamlined method of managing and interpreting standards while meeting the evolving needs of their engineering teams.
Digital threading: the future of engineering
Managing the vast number of requirements embedded in standards is one of the most significant challenges engineering teams face today. It’s critical to adhere to requirements and monitor for changes, but the traditional reliance on spreadsheets and disconnected systems makes this process prone to misinterpretation, errors, and inefficiencies.
The solution? A single source of truth that eliminates ambiguity and ensures all teams can access consistent, reliable information. With digitized standards, engineers can use intelligent software tools to extract requirements into machine-readable formats, increasing accessibility and reducing errors. A digital thread enables teams to track requirements across the entire product lifecycle, from initial design to final verification. When a specific component like a bolt or a washer is installed in a product, that part can be verified and immediately traced back up the chain.
Digital threads are also immensely useful for keeping track of changes or updates to standards. If a new version of a standard is released, advanced software technology can automatically extract the new requirements and alert engineers of any changes. When all product information is in a single digital framework, it’s easy to tell exactly how the changes will impact the project.
Empowering engineers through innovation
Although there’s still work to be done, “it’s a big win,” said Chris Burrows about the digital transformation. “It allows our teams to make decisions. Our engineers need to be making decisions, not monitoring for changes and extracting data.”
Want to hear the full conversation between the Accuris and Rolls Royce teams? Watch the on-demand webinar recording today.